Eight sleeps to the Feb. 29 NHL trade deadline and here’s a thought. With the Oilers now 30th, what could you get for the Oilers first round — potentially No. 1 overall — draft choice between now and the actual lottery draft?

Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving: He wants badly to be active and is willing to accept he hasn’t got a playoff team this spring. Teams are calling about veteran forward Jiri Hudler, who is an unrestricted free agent, along with defenceman Kris Russell. There was talk the Flames were going to re-sign Russell but the word is the two sides aren’t close to a deal but he could fetch north of $5 million on the open market and Calgary may not pay that out. Some wonder if Treliving will be able to get a goalie at this deadline.

The San Jose Sharks are looking for a backup goaltender, according to Friedman. The Calgary Flames may also be in the market for help between the pipes as a replacement for Karri Ramo, who was lost for the remainder of the regular season earlier this week. They can cross at least one name off their wishlist.

Loui Eriksson would be the perfect fit. A smart, two-way vet who can play in all situations, he comes with a workable cap hit ($4.25 million) and an expiring contract. The Bruins are looking for a young, NHL-ready defenseman in return, something Chicago can’t provide, but the Hawks have other assets, including this year’s first-round pick/prospect forward Marko Dano, who might get the ball rolling.

Nill is a wily executive who has pretty much made over the entire Stars roster in his 33 months on the job, so he is not afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal. But he also knows that building the youth of the team can bring dividends that last for years.

Gorton has the duty to bolster his team if he can. The Rangers may be fifth in the league in goals per game and 13th in goals against average (the latter stat skewed by dreadful penalty killing), but their biggest need remains the same as it was through the last two springtimes. They need a formidable, physical top-six winger who will bring a presence to the down-low, grinding game and to the power play.